Special Ties
by Cupid'sdumbass
Summary: Angela is the average teenage girl who has guys falling at her feet. She is madly in love with her boyfriend Dae Kun, but Nicholas, her shy classmate, continues to fight for her affections. Who will win her heart in the end?
1. Chapter 1

Angela stared at Dae Kun's perfect cheekbones as he smiled and looked lovingly into her eyes. They had only known each other for a week, but they already had a connection that seemed special. After class Angela was pulled backwards. She screamed softly and turned around in one swift motion to see Dae Kun smiling down at her.

"Hello, love."

Dae Kun's voice was soft and light, like a feather in a perfect field of green.

"Dae Kun, I told you not to scare me! What do you want?" Angela shot a nasty look at him but regressed back to a smile to show she wasn't really mad. Dae Kun didn't answer. He just kept smiling at her and she eventually grabbed his hand and they walked to lunch.

Dae Kun had brought a neatly wrapped sandwich for lunch that was already cut in two pieces. He carefully handed one piece to Angela and she looked at it with disgust.

"What is this? A tuna fish sandwich? You know I hate seafood." Angela threw the sandwich back onto Dae Kun's lap and walked to the restroom to wash the smell of fish off her hands. Dae Kun walked to Mr. Plumlee's class feeling extremely ashamed and embarrassed. By the time Angela got out of the bathroom he was long gone. She could feel a pang in her heart and knew she had hurt him. Dae Kun loved nothing more than a good tuna fish sandwich and Angela had deeply insulted him. She ran over to Plumlee's class and screamed his name as she got to the door way.

"Dae Kun, I'm so sorry! I will eat your tuna fish any day. Please, give me one more chance." Angela had real sympathy in her voice but Dae Kun didn't even acknowledge her. He walked out the opposite door of the classroom and ran onto the field. Angela followed him for a few feet but had to stop because she was out of breath from running and crying at the same time. Dae Kun got to farthest corner of the field and collapsed on the cold grass. His eyes became heavy with tears and he could feel his nose becoming red. He then grabbed the tuna fish sandwich out of his pocket and open up the slices of bead. Inside was a small letter that read: My love, will you accompany me to the Warner Graduation Dance? Dae Kun grabbed the letter out of the sandwich, threw it on the floor, and let the wind carry it far away.

Across the field Nicholas stood tall next to Caroline who was busy flirting with other guys around her. Nicholas began fidgeting with his new Nikes as a small piece of paper few against his hand in the harsh wind. He kneeled down to picked it up and immediately smelt the stench of fish on it. He carefully grabbed it with two fingers and stood back up. Before even reading it he waved the letter in Caroline's face trying to annoy her with the bad smell. But instead of smelling the paper, Caroline read it. She smiled graciously at him with wide eyes and rosy cheeks.

"Nicholas, you want to go to the graduation dance? I thought you hated them!" Caroline was overjoyed at Nicholas's proposal. She grabbed his face and planted a kiss on his cheek. Nicholas stared at her speechlessly as she pranced over to Angela to tell her what happened. Nicholas suddenly began to panic.

"CAROLINE, WAIT! COME BACK!" He tried to get her attention but she was to far gone. Nicholas ran over to Caroline and was desperate to stop her from talking to Angela. Nicholas was head-over-heels in love with Angela, and if she thought that he asked Caroline out, she definitely would not love him back.


	2. Chapter 2

Nicholas ran over to Caroline, grabbed her arm and pulled her backwards. They stumbled back she landed on his chest as they both fell to the ground. Nicholas got up and dusted the dirt off his shorts then grabbed Caroline's hand and pulled her up. Caroline held onto his hand and ran with him over to Angela to tell her the good news. As they approached Angela, Nicholas bit down his bottom lip hard and beads of sweat began to fall down his face.

"Angela, Angela, guess what Nicholas just asked me!" Caroline jumped up and down as she tried to gather her words.

"He asked me to the da—"; her words were interrupted by Nicholas' hand being pressed against her mouth. Then he turned her around and looked her in the eyes.

"Caroline, why don't we go sit in Maxwell's class? You can tell Angela all about it another time." Nicholas spoke in a soft, flirty tone and Caroline followed him back to Maxwell's.

Angela sat alone on the bleachers as she stared at the open field. Dae Kun was far out of her sight but she longed to see him again. The lunch bell rang and suddenly Angela's heart began to flutter as she remembered that it was Friday. She walked back to PAL and she saw Dae Kun sitting in his seat playing with his fingers, which he always did when he was nervous. He looked up at Angela and she pulled up a seat next to him.

"So, are you upset at me?" Of course he was, but Angela was too weak to accept it until she heard him say it.

"No. I'm not upset." Dae Kun's words trailed off at the end as he turned away from Angela. He was still upset. But as he turned away Angela turned his head back so that he was facing her. She looked him in the eyes and told him that she wanted to go to the dance with him. Dae Kun formed a shy smile on his face and put his arm around Angela and pulled her closer to him.

The commotion in PAL was outstanding. Kids were throwing glitter at each other and others were playing video games. It was a complete zoo. But in the left corner of the class sat Nicholas and Caroline, they were secluding themselves from all the recklessness. Nicholas spoke to Caroline in a hush tone while she looked at him with affection.

"Why don't we keep this whole dance thing a secret, just between us?" Nicholas was careful not to offend Caroline, but she just stared at him blankly.

"I don't get it." Caroline said sadly. "Why do you want to keep it a secret?" Nicholas put his finger under Caroline's chin and made her eyes lock with his.

"Don't worry, we'll tell people when it's time. But for now, let's keep our relationship special and just between us." He smiled sweetly at Caroline and her heart soared.

Nicholas' eyes shot across the room and found Angela sitting in the opposite corner with Dae Kun's arms around her. The blood in Nicholas' body started to boil and his eyes changed to a deep tone of green which showed his envy. He grabbed Caroline's hand with both of his and tried to be as affectionate as possible. But his eyes were still focused on Angela. He had liked her ever since they met in PE a year earlier. She had a carefree, loveable, and gently spirit and he was drawn to her at first sight. He refused to let her fall into the arms of another guy. Nicholas stood up and held Caroline in his arms. He walked over to the side of the room with Angela and Dae Kun. Nicholas held Caroline even tighter making it as obvious as possible to Angela that they were dating. Angela simply just smiled at Caroline and rested her head on Dae Kun's chest.


	3. Chapter 3

Laying this close to Dae Kun made all of Angela's troubles melt away. She could feel his heartbeat and pick up the faint scent of cologne that still lingered on his neck. Dae Kun grabbed Angela's hand and looked her in the eyes

"Why don't we skip class and stay here all day?" As the words left Dae Kun's lips he felt hesitant to what Angela's response might be.

"Oh my gosh! Really?" Angela's eyes lit up with excitement and she leaped up from the ground, pulling Dae Kun up with her.

Like clockwork, the school bell rang and all the students shuffled out of Maxwell's class. Angela pulled Dae Kun out of the door and they both ran across the school campus and hid behind the bleachers in the amphitheater. Dae Kun had never been one to break the rules, but being with Angela had changed him. He loved her sense of whimsy and her free spirit.

Dae Kun sat quietly next to Angela as she told him all about her life. He watched her hair blow effortlessly in the wind. Her dark brown hair caught the sun's rays and glistened with shades of copper and gold. However, the more Dae Kun stared at her the more he couldn't stop thinking about someone else. A childhood friend crossed his mind. Someone he had met years before and someone that he could never quite shake from his memory.

It was 6 years ago. Girls in elementary school were just discovering that boys didn't have cooties and boys were learning that teasing a girl didn't make them like you. However, Dae Kun had learned these lessons much earlier than the rest. Everyday he walked into class and sat next to the smartest girl in the 2nd grade. She had a braid of black silk that flowed down her back and seemed like it went on forever. Here eyes were small but striking and her cheeks always had the perfect shade of pink painted on them. She smiled politely at Dae Kun every morning as he neatly organized his desk with his notebook and pencils.

"Why do you always put your pencils like that?" the girl asked in a playful tone.

"I don't know". Dae Kun answered her while staring at the floor. He was too shy to look into her eyes. She looked down at him and touched his small hand. Still without looking at her, Dae Kun grabbed her's and they held hands under their desks for the rest of class. Throughout the rest of elementary school they were practically inseparable. At recess they both sat on the swings and talked about everything imaginable. Their innocent, loving friendship was so dear to both of them and when fifth grade came to an end Dae Kun once again could not look the girl in her eyes.

"We'll keep in touch over the summer. I'll call you every day. My mom can drop me off at your house." Dae Kun was desperate not to loose the girl who he had spent his whole childhood with.

"No." She spoke in a monotone voice that ached with despair. "We'll forget about each other in 6th grade anyway. Just know that whenever you need to talk, I'm only a few minutes away at Stacy." She was so mature for her age and knew that her ties with Dae Kun would be severed the second 6th grade started. Dae Kun understood this too and didn't make an attempt to call or visit his friend over the summer. But she always remained permanently etched in his memory.

"Dae Kun, are you even listening?" Angela stared at him sternly. Dae Kun wasn't sure how long he has been day dreaming, but he knew that he needed to speak with his long lost friend.


	4. Chapter 4

Caroline jumped into Nicholas' arms as she ran up to give him an unexpected hug during lunch. He hugged her back lovingly, scanning the area for a sign of Angela. The one-sided love Nicholas had for Angela was almost unbearable. Each day he would tell his friends that he would finally get the courage to talk to her, but as each day passed he remained silent. He was hopelessly shy and insecure and watching her heart beat for Dae Kun only added to his devastation. He gazed at Angela from afar each day as she graced everyone she spoke to with a radiant smile and kind, gentle eyes. He desperately wished that he could look into those eyes without having to quickly look away. Nicholas came to grips with reality and accepted that nothing would ever come from a life of pursing Angela. She didn't even know his name.

Caroline tugged on Nicholas's hand and warped her fingers between his. She proudly walked next to him, but he longed to be next to someone else.

"Nikki, let's walk to the store after school. I want to get some BBQ Lays." Nicholas reluctantly agreed to Caroline's request. After all, food was his second greatest weakness.

"Is it ok if Angela comes too?" As Caroline added this simple sentence Nicholas's ears perked up. His heart began to beat faster and a smile formed across his face.

"Sure." He tried so hard to be nonchalant but he knew he couldn't keep his real feelings concealed.

As the last bell of the day rang, Nicholas found Caroline and alongside her was Angela, notably without her boyfriend. Dae Kun's parents were terribly strict and banned any tomfoolery after school.

Nicholas led the way to the store and the two girls trailed behind gossiping and giggling every five seconds. Nicholas couldn't help but worry about what or who they were talking about. When they got to the store both girls loaded up on snacks and of course Nicholas got stuck picking up the tab. But he didn't mind, he wanted to show Angela how much of a gentleman he was.

Nicholas stayed behind this time as they walked back to school. The side walk was only wide enough to fit two people next to each other. At first Caroline stood shoulder to shoulder with Nicholas, but after a few yards Nicholas insisted that ladies should go first and shoved Caroline in front of himself and Angela. Caroline took this as a polite gesture from Nicholas, but in reality he wanted Angela to be closer to him. As the sidewalk grew even narrower Nicholas inched closer and closer to Angela until their hands grazed each other's every time they moved. Almost like it was out of his control Nicholas reached for Angela's hand and held onto it for dear life. She shot a bewildered look at him and her eyes grew as big as the moon. He looked at her equally stunned, but neither of them let go of each other. Nicholas felt like he was in a whole other world. His own impulses went against his doubts and reached for her hand, and she hadn't let go. As Angela held Nicholas' hand she could feel the roughness of it from playing basketball, but there was also something so comforting and safe about being in his grip. Something that made her not want to let go. It took a faint squeal from Caroline to bring both of them back to reality.

"What are you doing, Nicholas?" Caroline's voice cracked as she said his name. Nicholas stared at her with solemn eyes. He looked down at his feet and released Angela's hand. Angela put her hand on Caroline's shoulder and said it wasn't what it looked like. Of course that was not true. It was exactly what it looked like. Caroline looked at Nicholas, then back at Angela, then back at Nicholas again. She tried to make sense of the situation but all she felt was betrayal and sadness burning inside her. She furrowed her brow and shot Angela the nastiest look a person could give, then stormed away.

Nicholas face was painted with shame and Angela's was red with fury.

"Why would you grab my hand like that? I have a boyfriend and you have Caroline. Look what you did to her!" Angela ran after Caroline leaving Nicholas alone on the sidewalk. He tried to gather his breath as he walked slowly down the street, kicking up rocks and dirt as he thought about what he had done. He had just obliterated any chance of being with Angela and badly wounded Caroline in the middle of it all. He knew that showing his face at Warner tomorrow would result in him being hated by all his friends, and shunned by everyone else. But as he walked towards his house he started to smile. Somehow, just holding Angela's hand for those brief seconds had made everything worth it.


	5. Chapter 5

Dae Kun greeted Angela with a hug in homeroom. Angela had yet to tell him that she had held hands with another man and the guilt burned inside her. However, Angela knew that if Dae Kun found out he would be devastated, so she kept him in the dark.

Tina walked to first period with a devious smile on her face. She was plotting something dark and twisted. Just a few days earlier Tina had witnessed Angela Bui, the girlfriend of Dae Kun, holding hands with another person. Tina had never been so pleased in her life. She had an aching crush on Dae Kun ever since 6th grade and everyday, watching him hug Angela affectionately crushed her. But now was her chance. She could finally have Dae Kun all to herself. Tina pulled out her camera and stared at the evidence, a snapshot of Angela and her "other man" holding hands and staring at each other lovingly. As students began to fill the halls Tina put away her camera, but she knew that by lunch Dae Kun would know all about Angela's dirty little secret.

For Angela, every class with Dae Kun was torture. Having to look into his innocent eyes broke her heart and she wished she could just disappear. Dae Kun caught onto Angela's strange behavior and was perplexed.

"Why do you seem so quiet today?" Dae Kun asked with sincerity.

"How am I supposed to know? Maybe I am just quiet today, all right. Jeez." Angela spat her words at Dae Kun's face with rage fueled by guilt and stormed off.

This was the last straw for Dae Kun. For so long he has been so forgiving towards Angela and her moody ways, but now he had taken enough. He grabbed Angela by the arm as she tried to walk away and pulled her back.

"That's it. I can't take it anymore! You are always getting mad at me for no reason and I'm tired of it! I think we should just…just…end it." Dae Kun looked at Angela wide-eyed as he waited for her to answer. He was sure she would scream at him, or even slap him.

"Ok." Angela quietly answered Dae Kun without even looking at him because she didn't want him to see the tears in her eyes. She slowly got up and walked to lunch without saying another word.

Dae Kun was utterly stunned by Angela's reaction. He began to wonder if she ever even cared about their relationship. He grew intensely angry and through his pencil off his desk. Then he got up, and for the first time in weeks, he did what he wanted to do at lunch instead of what Angela wanted to do.

Angela sat on the bleachers and sobbed. She let all her emotions out and didn't give a damn who saw her. She thought of how she had betrayed Dae Kun by holding Nicholas' hand and she thought about how she had hurt Dae Kun by always getting upset at him. She never deserved a guy as great as him and now he was gone.

Tina ran out of her 6th period class and caught up with Dae Kun as he was walking into Plumlee's class. She gently tapped in him on the shoulder and he turned around.

"Hey Dae Kun, can I show you something?" Dae Kun was confused by Tina's question. He had barely ever spoken to her before and had only managed to remember her name because it was also the name of his cat. Before he could answer, Tina had already pulled him behind Plumlee's class and looked him straight in the eye. Tina was shocked by her own confidence. She had normally been so shy around Dae Kun, but now, with her opportunity to have him open, all her shyness disappeared. She pulled out her camera and turned it on.

"I know you're dating Angela." Tina started to say but was cut off.

"Actually..." Dae Kun began to speak when Tina interrupted him.

"Hold on this is important. I know you're dating Angela and I know you may think she loves you or whatever, but you need to see this." Tina turned her camera around she showed Dae Kun the picture of his newly ex-girlfriend and Nicholas holding hands. Dae Kun's eyes turned red, his blood began to pump furiously in his veins, and his mind ran a mile a minute. He lost sight of the world and felt like the walls on the earth were closing in on him and collapsing. He could not breathe. Tina finally broke him of his nightmare with a shove and he stared deep into her eyes.

"Where did you get this picture?" Dae Kun spoke with severity.

"Well, I was walking home after school on umm…Thursday, I think. No wait it was Wednesday. No, it was Tuesday for sure because I had a dentist appointment that day and…"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR APPOINTMENT! Just tell me what you saw." Dae Kun snapped at Tina with rage and impatience.

"Umm… I just saw them walking from the store holding hands. And it looked like Caroline was there and she got mad and stormed off." Dae Kun calmed down and hung his head low. Then, without even thinking, he took Tina in his arms and held onto her. Tina blushed red and looked into Dae Kun's eyes. He smiled back at her and they hugged each other tighter. When they finally let go Dae Kun thanked Tina for showing him the truth and they both walked off to the black top.

Nicholas, now hated by his friends and shunned by everyone else, had made the bold move of switching schools. He knew that getting away from Warner would clear things up for him and make life easier for Caroline; however, he would not be away for long.


	6. Chapter 6

.

After all Dae Kun went though in the past few days, all he wanted to do was relax and hang out with his friend Allen. Allen was the favorite of all the kids in PAL and was always entertaining the class. Dae Kun met up with him after school one day and they walked to Starbucks.

"Hey man, can I ask you something?" Dae Kun wanted to tell Allen about his relationship troubles but didn't know how to start.

"Shoot." Allen answered Dae Kun, barely paying attention.

"Well, me and Angela broke up a few days ago and then I found out she had basically cheated on me. Oh but I have a new girl now."

"Damn, Dae Kun, that girl screwed you over pretty bad. I told you Angela was trouble. And who's your new girl?" Allen was always so cool and collected. Even in the most intense situations, he was levelheaded and secure. He also gave great advice. This was why Dae Kun felt safe talking to him.

"I know man. Should have listened to you. Well, Tina's my girlfriend now. I think you two had classes in 6th grade." Allen's ears burned and his mouth dropped. He stopped walking and looked at Dae Kun with a bewildered look in his eyes.

"Tina? Nguyen? Oh, that tall girl with the glasses, deep black eyes, and flowing brown hair? I think I know her." Allen tried so hard to hide his true feelings. He had been counting the days until Tina's birthday. He was finally going to ask her out and give her a homemade bracelet, but his own friend, Dae Kun, had stolen her right out from under him. Allen smiled at Dae Kun with clenched teeth and angry eyes. The envy inside him reached every inch of his body, and he struggled to keep from bursting.

After a good massage, some mediation, and a nice manicure, Angela was feeling much better compared to the day her and Dae Kun broke up. Angela was strangely content with how things ended. She had wronged Dae Kun and got what she deserved. Sure, a part of her still loved him, but she knew that having their space was the best thing for them. Angela was even considering forgiving Nicholas. She walked over to the basketball courts to find him but he was nowhere in sight. She asked Steve if he had seen Nicholas and Steve looked at her, obviously confused.

"Nicholas switched schools like 5 days ago." Steve stared at Angela while she processed the information. He told Angela that it was because of Caroline and the pain she was causing him. Angela was devastated. She ran off to the girls' restroom and texted Nicholas. She asked him why he left and if it was her fault. She told him she was sorry for everything and the she wished she could make things right. However, although Angela was disappointed that Nicholas was gone, she knew that he has made the right move. Nicholas had severely hurt Caroline, and everyone knows that she's ruthless towards people who betray her. Nicholas' life at Warner would be hell if he stayed and didn't get out of Caroline's line of fire.

Allen had ditched Dae Kun while walking home from Starbucks saying he was getting a ride from his sister. In reality, Allen needed some time to think. Allen had thought that Tina was into him. He honestly believed he had a real chance with her. Everyday in the math class they would share a few laughs and he always felt so carefree and like himself when he was in her presence. He assumed that Tina was different. He assumed that she had never even dreamed of being in a relationship and that he would be her first boyfriend. And now that she was dating Dae Kun, nothing made sense anymore for Allen. He kept telling himself that it wouldn't last, but he knew that he was wrong. Dae Kun was such a ladies' man, his charm was more that any girl could resist. Allen didn't stand a chance and he knew it. But a small flame of hope still flickered in his heart and Allen wouldn't give up so easily.


	7. Chapter 7

Nicholas dragged his feet as he walked through the unfamiliar hallways of Stacy Middle School. This was only his second day at the new school. He had been late to almost all of his classes and already his new teachers disliked him. Everyone at Stacy is so social and outspoken, but Nicholas had always been a quiet pupil. He preferred to sit in the back of his classrooms and only spoke when directly spoken to. His new teachers attempted to introduce him to the class, but when they asked him his hobbies and interests; Nicholas just stared at them blankly. After a few minutes of painful silence, his teacher and classmates gave up on him.

At Lunch, Nicholas was overwhelmed by how everyone flocked to the lunch shelter as the bell rang. He was nearly trampled by the swarm of students stampeding towards the lunch shelter. Nicholas was sure that all the tables and seats would be taken, so he progressed to the blacktop. He sat against a secluded fence and pulled his hood over his head. He began to think to himself and really try to shed some light on his new situation. But all he could think about was Angela. He felt like a coward for leaving her behind after he had ruined her entire reputation. He still had strong feelings for her, but he couldn't have stayed at Warner. He was a sitting duck. With Caroline and her crew ganging up on him and all his friends resenting him for crossing Dae Kun, his life at Warner would have been pure misery.

Not wanting to think about the past anymore, Nicholas pulled out his cell phone and flipped through his text messages. To his surprise there was an unread message from Angela. His eyes dilated and his heart fell to his stomach. He fumbled his phone in his hands while trying to open the message.

"hey. why did you leave all of a sudden. is it my fault? if it is im so so sorry! :( plz forgive me!"

Nicholas' mouth dropped open as he read the simple message. The fact that Angela cared enough to send him a text sent butterflies to his stomach. He stared at the message for at least for minutes, wondering if Angela had cared about him all along. He began to feel pain throughout his body. What if Angela felt the same way about him and leaving Warner was the biggest mistake of his life? Nicholas continued to stare at the message and tears began to well up in his eyes.

Suddenly he felt a light tap on his shoulders.

"Ummm, you're not supposed to have your phone out during school." The girl looked down at him with a delicate smile. Nicholas looked back up at her with watery eyes. He gazed her flowing brown hair, kind eyes, and flushed cheeks. The girl noticed the tears forming in his eyes and her happy expression changed to a concerned one. She stretched out her hand and helped Nicholas up.

"You know I was just joking about the phone. I use mine all the time. So what's your name?" She gave a big grin at Nicholas and he reciprocated it.

"Oh, it's Nicholas. It's nice to finally meet someone here. Everyone seems to have their own groups already." Nicholas explained how he was a new student and how most of his teachers and classmates hated him already.

"Don't worry; all teachers give the new kid a hard time. They'll like you once they get to know you. So why did you change schools so late in the year." The girl seemed so sincere in her responses. She seemed to genuinely care about what Nicholas had to say. He felt so comfortable talking to her even though they had just barely met. For the rest of lunch they talked and shared things about themselves with each other. The girl explained how kids at Stacy were so focused on image and status, and how she didn't believe in those kinds of things. That's why she was disliked by most kids. Nicholas was awestruck at her maturity and also her beauty. He had never met someone to genuine and level-headed. As lunch ended the two new-found friends said goodbye.

"Wait, I didn't catch your name." Nicholas shouted towards her just as they were parting.

"It's Nina."


	8. Chapter 8

"You don't know how happy I am that this is happening. I had such a big crush on you for so long." Tina looked at Dae Kun with love in her eyes as she spoke to him under the shade of the oak tree.

"Aww shucks. I can't believe I never noticed a girl as wonderful as you before." Dae Kun rested his head on Tina's shoulders as she stroked his hair.

"Why don't we just skip class the rest of the day and stay right here?" Tina asked Dae Kun, thinking he couldn't possibly deny it. Instead Dae Kun looked at her with flames in his eyes. He abruptly stood up, knocking Tina over, and began to walk away.

"Dae Kun?" Tina was so shocked by his behavior. She yelped after him and he stopped and turned around.

"I can't skip class. That's…that's…it's just a bad idea. I got to go." Dae Kun stormed off to the boy's restroom, leaving Tina devastated and cheerless.

Dae Kun stood over the sink and splashed cold water on his face. He leaned against the stall door and shut his eyes, thinking about Tina's query and how it reminded him of the very thing he had asked Angela just two week before. He thought about how much things had changed in such a short amount of time. He thought of the way Angela's hair blew effortlessly in the warm breeze, and he remembered her lighthearted smile. Dae Kun had been trying to convince himself that he was over Angela and that she had broken his heart, but truly, he missed her. He missed her so much it kept him up at night. But he could never admit it to himself. He tried desperately to keep his mind occupied by dating Tina, but she could never compare. In his mind, Angela was perfect.

Dae Kun walked out of the restroom to find Tina waiting for him. Her nose was red and her eyes were swollen. She had been crying.

"Dae Kun, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I'm sorry that I upset you. Do you forgive me?" Tina was so vulnerable. She was dependant on Dae Kun's love. The thought of loosing him terrified her and she would do anything to keep him.

"It's ok. I'm fine now. Let's just go eat lunch." Dae Kun stared at the ground as they walked over to the cafeteria. Tina pointed out flowers and ladybugs to him on the way over, but he just dismissed her. Tina was oblivious to Dae Kun's ill-temper, and she continued to skip cheerfully by his side.

Allen sat down on a lunch table next to his close buddy Steve.

"Hey man, here's comes Dae Kun with Tina." Steve teased Allen by saying Tina's name in a playful tone. Allen smacked Steve across the head, and then intently stared at the couple. It was easy to see how Dae Kun treated Tina with such low respect. They sat down at the same table as Allen and Steve, which was already over crowded. Dae Kun didn't even bother to make room for Tina and she was forced to stand and eat her lunch. He couldn't care less. Allen was enraged by his friend's behavior and nudged Steve to scoot over, making the smallest amount of space for Tina to sit. She smiled thankfully at Allen then diverted her attention back to Dae Kun. Her smile reached Allen in the heart. He began to blush, and buried his face in his arms.

After everyone had finished eating Tina grabbed Dae Kun's hand and pulled him towards the library.

"Come with me to check out this book, Dae Kun, pretty please." Tina even batted her eyelashes, but Dae Kun broke his had free from her grip and shook his head.

"No. I'm going to play basketball with the guys."

Allen could see the evident sadness in Tina's eyes and felt his blood boil. Seeing Dae Kun disregard Tina was driving him crazy. Allen stood up tall in front of Dae Kun and was about to spit hurtful words at his face, when Steve shoved him aside and whispered in his ear.

"Dude, why don't you take Tina to the library and make a move, man?" Allen thought about it for only a second, then darted to Tina's side.

"I can go to the library with you. If…if you want." Allen was obviously nervous to his core.

"Oh. Sure I guess." Tina walked to the library and waited to check in her book. The line was long so Allen tried to make small talk, but he failed terribly. His nerves got the best of him. Tina turned in her book and began to walk towards the basketball courts. Allen caught up with her and attempted to make small talk again.

"So how long have you and Dae Kun been dating?" Allen pulled all his courage together and began to talk with Tina.

"Oh, just over a week. But sometimes I feel like he doesn't really care about me, you know." Allen nodded slowly in agreement.

"Well I'm sure he does. How could he not be in love with a girl like you? You're smart, funny, and just wonderful." Allen was sincere with his compliments and Tina beamed with happiness. She even began to blush as he continued to feed her compliments. As the two of them approached the basketball court Tina stayed on the sideline and Allen joined in the game. Steve ran up beside him and gave him a funny smile.

"So how was your time with Tina?" Steve winked at Allen, still teasing him.

Allen simply answered, "It was nice."


	9. Chapter 9

Caroline sat back in Ms. Maxwell's comfy chair as she enjoys the laid-back attitude of the class. No work ever got done in PAL, and the student's liked it that way. Caroline walked over to the table where Angela, Allen, Vanessa, Omar, and Tai were sitting. Suddenly a cold chill fell over her body. She was sitting in Nicholas' old seat. A wave of emotions overcame her and she dashed away from the table and sat on the brick arch outside. She was dumbfounded by her own actions. Why was she feeling so upset about Nicholas? Hadn't he cheated on her and afterwards not even attempt to apologize? If anything she should be relieved that he was gone. But inside, all she felt was sorrow. She wished for a chance to speak to him again. She would apologize for having her friends harass him, and more importantly she would well him that she forgave him, and that she wanted nothing more than for him to be back.

Caroline stared at the ground as her tears fall when suddenly a warm hand gripped her shoulder. She looked up and saw Dae Kun sitting next to her. He looked at her with a glum expression and wiped the tears from her swollen eyes. Without saying a word, Dae Kun grabbed both of Caroline hands and let her head rest on his shoulder. They stayed like that for the whole of the class, secluded from the world, until they heard voices coming them the doorway of the class. They both stood up and separated themselves as kids began to file out of the class. Tai, Vanessa and Omar approached Dae Kun and the four of them headed off the lunch. As he walked away Dae Kun glanced back at Caroline and smiled slightly at her. Caroline beamed back at him and blushed uncontrollably.

Nicholas finally began to feel as if he was fitting in at Stacy. He was starting to speak up more in class and students began to take interest in him. He was even invited to play basketball at lunch with the jocks after they had an in-depth discussion about the Lakers. However, Nicholas continued to spend his lunch with Nina. The two of them were practically inseparable. They spent their whole lunch hour sitting and talking about everything imaginable. Their friendship was so dear to both of them.

Nicholas walked out of his 6th period class and waited for Nina in the same spot as everyday, near the secluded fence where they had first crossed paths. Nina came skipping from her class and stopped just before she skipped onto Nicholas' toes, then she grabbed Nicholas hand and they walked to the field to spend lunch. The grass was soft and a healthy green color. Nina hands ran back and forth of the blades, she even grabbed a wad of grass and threw it on top of Nicholas hair. He immediately shook it off and threw a bundle of flowers back onto her hair. Their friendship was simple and easy. Like the ones you have in elementary school.


	10. Chapter 10

"About yesterday, I just want to say thanks. What you did really meant a lot to me." Caroline approached Dae Kun during lunch specifically to thank him for his kindness. Her tone was sincere and the look in her eyes made it obvious that she was still hurting.

"Oh, anytime. I could see how upset you were, and I didn't want you to be by yourself." Dae Kun showed real concern for Caroline. Even though they had hardly ever talked before, Caroline was Angela's best friend, and she often tagged along whenever Angela and Dae Kun would hang out. When he saw Caroline sitting and crying by herself, Dae Kun immediately felt a pang in his heart. Caroline's moment of weakness reminded Dae Kun of how he made Angela cry when he left her. Dae Kun and Caroline smiled warmly at each other as they proceeded back to their classrooms after lunch.

Dae Kun walked into Science class and took his seat right next to Tina as usual. Tina greeted him with a small peck on the cheek and a big, toothy grin. Dae Kun looked down at her, squinting his eyes in disapproval as she giggled and scooted closer to him.

"Do you want to hang out after school today? We can walk to Starbucks together!" Tina was always trying to plan activities with Dae Kun, but he never seemed up for anything.

"Not today…" Dae Kun's answer was brief as he turned so that his back was now facing Tina. After being together for more than 3 weeks Dae Kun had never planned to go anywhere or do anything. Tina began to feel an emotional distance between herself and Dae Kun, and began to reminisce on how their relationship started in the first place.

She realized that Dae Kun had forced himself upon her only MINUTES after his break-up with Angela. Their relationship was sprung from Dae Kun's hatred towards Angela and Tina realized that she was nothing more than a cheap rebound. Dae Kun never had any real feelings for her, he was just using her to help himself cope with losing Angela. Tina felt a sense of disgust come over her entire body like a black veil cast upon a woman being exiled. Tina's thoughts were racing inside of her head, blinding her vision and making her entire skull feel white hot. She felt tears well up in her eyes and her ears turned a scarlet red. The anger and betrayal she felt was beyond anything she had experienced before. She loved Dae Kun from the moment she saw his sunny smile, and he did nothing but betray her and treat her like scum. She furiously grabbed at her binder and her backpack, slammed her chair against her desk, and walked out of class.

The class was awoken by Tina's dramatic exeunt and everyone seemed confused and concerned. Suddenly, the whole class was focused on Dae Kun. He was Tina's boyfriend and everyone expected him to go running after her like a true gentleman. However, Dae Kun did not act with such chivalry and instead just looked around blankly then picked up his pencil and simply began taking notes again.

Nothing could have made it more clear. Dae Kun obviously had no feelings for Tina, and as she sat on the cold concrete balling, Tina finally realized this.


End file.
